Potential answer for my prescription eyewear dilemma: Drivewear.

[gfen]

I got it in my head the other day that I could probably do better than polarized sunglasses without my prescription, prescription without polarized, or paying for prescription glasses with polzarization.

I'm lazy, I don't want ot carry two pairs and swap 'em out unless I have to, and truthfully if it wasn't for the polarization I wouldn't wear sunglasses at all.

So, I did some research...

Evidently, you cannot polarize glasses witout some level of tinting. I didn't read much into it, didn't care, but it has to do with the iodine crystals that make the polarization happen.

So, I looked a bit more. I've had Transistions self-tinting lenses in the past and, frankly, hated them. They're always a bit tinted, but I thought maybe to combine them with polarization wouldn't be too bad.

Then I stumbled on Younger Optic's Drivewear.
http://www.drivewearlens.com/

They go yellow in lowlight conditions, instead to a very light tint, and they're polarized at all times (obviously).

Anyone here own a pair of Drivewear lenses?

Or, has anyone used yellow, polarized, glasses on the water? Did you feel they were of any benefit over your regular (if applicable) glasses?

I'm going to have to call one of these places and find out what it'd cost to have my second frames filled with aset of these lenses. I'd like to have a decent solution to glasses on the water without having to carry two pair that doesn't involve clip-ons (no off the shelf solution for my current glasses) or gigantic oversized polarized old man glasses (I have my dignity).

 

[Acristickid]

gfen- I can't help with that stuff- since I dont wear glasses anymore.

I got lasik about 8 years ago.

Hated wearing glasses. Not fun while hunting,skiing,riding my bike. Anything in the rain.

Anyways, the way I rationalized the $1000 bucks was-

I figured the cost of a decent pair of frames- I have some fashion requirements (actually it would be two pair of frames with the sunglasses), the cost of the script, cost of the eye exam was about $500.

If I did that 2-3 times in a ten year period the cost of the lasik would be cheaper plus I don't have to wear glasses.

Have no complaints and got an eye exam a few months ago and still have 20/20.

Some people can't deal with the surgery thing with your eyes or might be tight on the cash- otherwise if you can get lasik. I am very glad I did.

 

[pcray1231]

It is physically impossible to polarize light without dimming it in some way. Light is a transverse wave, and normal (unpolarized) light is made up of a lot of waves, each of which oscillate in a specific direction, but there are some oscillating in all directions. Think of a polarizer like a picket fence. Waves that are oscillating in one direction are allowed to pass, and waves oscillating in other orientations are blocked.

By definition, blocking any light means you have lowered the brightness to some degree.

You can play a game with the size of the holes in the "picket fence", larger holes result in less dimming, but a less perfect polarizer. Smaller holes result in more dimming, but better polarization. But you cannot physically have polarized light without dimming it unless you amplify it in some way, which is no longer glasses but actually producing more light (like night vision) and requires a power source.

Try this experiment. Get two pairs of polarized glasses, and line them up so you're looking through both lenses. Shouldn't look much different. Now rotate one of them 90 degrees. It goes black. You've now made picket fences at 90 degrees to each other so that no orientations can pass.

Another fun one. With the polarizers 90 degrees to each other, put a clear plastic fork between them, and squeeze the fork together a bit. You can see the stress lines. Polarized light goes through the first polarizer, but going through the fork changes the orientation, and the stress changes how much the orientation changes. Some of that light can now pass through the second polarizer. This is one way to inspect clear materials, like glass, for defects and stresses left over from manufacture. You see the same thing with polarized sunglasses when driving, you can often see the stress lines on the rear windows of other cars.

 

[pcray1231]

P.S.

Even yellow tint is actually diminishing the light you can see, thats what color is. It may fool your mind into thinking its actually brighter, but come dusk, it'll hurt you're vision just as much. The only way not to block light is a perfectly clear lens, like most eyeglasses, but then you can't get polarization.

 

[gfen]

I'm not interested in Lasik at this time. It goes wrong. Maybe not often, but often enough that I'm not interested in it at this time.

I know that yellow/amber cuts down on the amount of blue light, and will increase contrast. While it will effectively dim the amount of light coming through, I'm wondering if the increase incontrast makes up for the lack of light as the sun sets.

When dealing with photography, even at night I usually left my #8 yellow in place to assist with the contrast. Now, granted we're dealing with B&W film versus the human eye.

It certainly can't be worse than the arbitrary amount of tint left in a pair of Transistions style lenses that have gone as clear as they can.

I should find a pair of cheap yellow lenses to try out some night verus the clear lenses of my prescriptions..Not the best comparision, but better than one.

 

[pcray1231]

The problem is that at dusk, all colors fade to shades of black, gray, and white, hence you lose that contrast advantage you have in the daytime, and you're left with just a tinted lens.

A camera has the advantage of being able to change the shutter speed, to physically allow more light (through longer time) to hit the film. You're eye has a similar function in changing the size of the pupil, but that has limits, and you can't adjust time.

But, go ahead and try it, and be confident about it. Sometimes the brain is more powerful than the physics when you want to believe something, and then it just "is", and dang it if you won't see better with those yellow glasses on. Half of vision is the brain's interpretation of the image, and if it thinks it looks sharper, then it is sharper.

I wear contacts and polarized sunglasses, and just take the sunglasses off as dusk approaches.

 

[JackM]

I just bought a pair of polarized clip-ons. Solves the problem for me. One pair of glasses and in low light, they can be flipped up or removed entirely.

 

[StudentofTheStream]

Jack,

I also have polarized clipons for my frames as well as the 'old folk' look with overx glasses. I'm only 26 so I'm somewhat ashamed to look like my 70 year old grandmother with her overx glasses.

My problem with the clipons is that there is no filtering from the sides thus unless I hold my hands up to block the light it's nearly moot for me to wear them.

Do your have some sort of side shield on them? I don't want to the expense of prescription sunglasses and the likelihood I'll lose them.

 

[tabasco_joe]

pcray1231 wrote:
The problem is that at dusk, all colors fade to shades of black, gray, and white, hence you lose that contrast advantage you have in the daytime, and you're left with just a tinted lens.

A camera has the advantage of being able to change the shutter speed, to physically allow more light (through longer time) to hit the film. You're eye has a similar function in changing the size of the pupil, but that has limits, and you can't adjust time.

But, go ahead and try it, and be confident about it. Sometimes the brain is more powerful than the physics when you want to believe something, and then it just "is", and dang it if you won't see better with those yellow glasses on. Half of vision is the brain's interpretation of the image, and if it thinks it looks sharper, then it is sharper.

I wear contacts and polarized sunglasses, and just take the sunglasses off as dusk approaches.

Back in the late 80s when I was working with Corning on some optical amplifiers for fiber optics systems they gave me a pair of their Serengeti sunglasses. These were $300 sunglasses back then but they were fantastic. I could see sharper and they even helped in the initial portion of dusk. The lab where they were developed was right upstairs from the one I was working in so I stopped by and asked them why the glasses where better than anything I had ever tried. They told me they tuned the tint to optimize the passed wavelengths to the best sensitivity of the human eye. I now need prescription glasses and can't wear the Cornings anymore. I don't think Corning is even in that business today but I'd love to get prescription sunglasses with the same tint.

Bottom line is not all tints are equal. Not even all amber tints are equal.

 

[afishinado]

Student,

If they're good enough for these guys, they should be good enough for you!

 

[StudentofTheStream]

haha, those guys have nothing on me. Perhaps it's the fact I have somewhat of a pin head. When my wife wears my glasses they almost look too small.

If I added some gray hair and wrinkles I'd fit right in with grandma.

I guess that's the price I'll pay for polarization.

 

[Fishidiot]

The clunky, large "fit-over" type polarized fishing glasses work fine for me. Cocoons makes a decent version that works with my prescription glasses and it comes in the yellow lens version I like for cloudy days. Yeah, I look like an old geezer but who cares - it's just fishing.

 

[gfen]

As you've pointed out, pcray, the eye can open up to let more light in as it darkens. I'm sure that by the point that it can no longer compensate for the amber tint, it would be too dark for me to care anyways. Further, I'm not blind without glasses, just unable to see a tiny fly dancing on the water. So, I can quite easily remove them as I slog my way back to the car.

I'm hoping to get an idea of what these will cost today in comparision to just a tinted, polarized, lens. If its not that much m ore, I'm quite willing to give it a shot.

I admit, though, I'm surprised there's less interest in Transistions lenses that can be polarized among fishermen. I actually would've expected more people to be interested in these, but maybe they're old knowledge in the end. I'd never gone looking for something like this, and was surprised to find them.

 

[Chaz]

Clip ons are easy touse and are available in different colors, though I prefer the lighter color, I never use the gray. I prefer the yellow though because they brighten things up.

 

[CRB]

The blue and violet parts of the light spectrum are last to bleed into darkness.
I to use cocoons. With a small frame size they don't look so clunky.
I am looking to get a pair of perceptions at least not to look older than I am. Smith or action optics I think are on my bill.
C